NY trooper, sgt. save life of man pulled over in town of Ulster

TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. -- A drunken-driving case turned into a night of heroics when state police ended up saving the driver's life, authorities said on Friday.

Capt. Robert Nuzzo of state police Troop F said he is proud of his men, Trooper Thomas Farrell and Sgt. Edward McKenna, for their work in reviving Walter L. Rose, 55, who stopped breathing when he was pulled over on U.S. Route 209 in Ulster.

"Our mission ... is to render general aid to the public and enforce the laws of the state. It was really killing two birds with one stone," Nuzzo said.

"This trooper was ensuring highway safety, and he rendered the ultimate aid. It's unfortunate that (Rose) got arrested, but, in the end, he's alive, and that's the good news."

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Farrell pulled Rose over for a violation of the vehicle and traffic law, state police said in a press release. When he interviewed Rose, a Kingston resident, the trooper detected the smell of alcohol, the release stated.

Farrell asked Rose to step out of his car on the shoulder of the road to continue the interview. Rose then collapsed.

Farrell checked Rose's vital signs and found that he had no pulse and was not breathing.

The trooper immediately contacted his barracks and requested emergency medical services. Farrell then retrieved an automatic external defibrillator from his patrol car.

McKenna arrived and helped Farrell with cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Rose, as well as with administering the necessary shock from the defibrillator, police said.

Their combined efforts restored Rose's pulse and breathing prior to the arrival of the Ulster Hose Fire Department and Mobile Life Support Services.

Rose was taken to Kingston Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.

He was charged with drunken driving and issued a court appearance ticket.

McKenna, a former emergency medical technician in Vermont, said this was the first time he had ever saved a life and that he felt humbled by the experience.

"I just was doing my job and using my training, and it's great that it resulted in a positive outcome," McKenna said. "He (Rose) is alive and can go on with his life. It's a great feeling. It's a great rush."

State police Lt. Paul Hogan was at the hospital when Rose was brought in and said medical staff described the condition as a "cardiac event."

"I think the most important thing is that he is alive and well today, and this situation certainly could have ended up worse," Hogan said.

"There's no way to know what may have happened down the roadway, but there certainly was the possibility for further injury or loss of live in the condition that he was in," he said.

Hogan said he expects Farrell and McKenna to get some kind of commendation for their efforts, and he said it will be well-deserved.

"Very often, people just see the other side of law enforcement, but a big part of what we do is rendering aid to the public," Hogan said. "It's a testament to the troopers who are out there rendering service every day."